Technology in Education: October 2010

For the past seven weeks, I have been a part of a course entitled “Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society.” Throughout this course, we have been taught how truly important it is to place 21st century technology into the classroom, as the “skills students need today are different than before” (Thornburg, Emergence of Education, 2010). “Unless we change how students are being taught, nothing is going to change” (Dede, Evolution of technology and Pedagogy, 2010) with our students and in the world today.

Part 1:
In what ways has this course helped you to develop your own technology skills as a professional teacher?

Throughout the past seven weeks, I have learned about and began using several programs and applications involving Web 2.0 tools. While I have heard of these different items before, I never really understood how my second grade students would be able to use and benefit from this more complex technology. By experiencing, using, and reading about these tools, I have learned that they have a place in any classroom. Therefore, I have realized that what Richardson had said was true, that “we have been very, very slow to react” (2010, pg 6).
I, myself, have been hesitant about placing some types of technology into my classroom, because I am not comfortable with them. Through taking this course, I have learned how to use and implement these tools within my classroom. I have gained confidence in how to integrate them into the curriculum that my students are learning in class. Most of all, I have realized how extremely important these tools are in helping the students to think critically, which is a skill they are going to need as they move through school and then out into the real world.

In what ways have you deepened your knowledge of the teaching and learning process?

The most important item that I learned about the teaching and learning process is that they are always changing, and teachers can not be afraid to adapt and to try new things. Thornburg and Davidson (2010) discussed in one of the video segments we reviewed throughout the course, is that people have changed, and the way our students learned and are prepared in coming to school has changed also. It used to be that students came to school not having any digital experience, where now students have televisions, video games, computers, and more at their fingertips in order to become a learner and be better prepared for school. While thinking about this, I realized that in the 8 years that I have been teaching, I have noticed a change in how my students learn and how prepared they are for second grade. Definitely, we can do more in second grade now in a technological aspect than we were able to when I began eight years ago.

In what ways have you changed your perspective from being teacher-centered to learner-centered?

Many times throughout the course videos and text readings, I remember learning that there is a great shift from classrooms being teacher-centered and becoming learner-centered. The role of the teacher is changing from being the one who is “all knowing” (Laureate Education, 2010), to that of the facilitator in the classroom. As Thornburg and Davidson (The Changing Role of the Teacher, 2010) stated though, this does not mean that there is less work for the teacher. Rather, there is more work for the teacher in prepping for the different technology, searching for websites that will work for the assignments and are appropriate for the school settings and students, plus helping students to verify the information that they have found to make sure that it is true and not inaccurate.
I have also found that the role of the teacher and classroom being changed has also led to a more cooperative and cohesive class. They help one another and truly enjoy helping one another when they are stuck with how to create something or find a specific website. It was said to me long ago, that students truly learn when they are teaching others. This is so very true. They are implementing what they are learning while helping their classmates. So, I think that it is great that our classrooms are going back to being learner-centered. Not only do I have to not worry about “knowing everything,” but I can facilitate what the students learn, and in the process teach them that you never stop learning because there is so much information explore and examine.

In what ways can you continue to expand your knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement?

Through classes such as this one, conferences focusing on technology, and merely reading teacher magazines, I plan to expand my knowledge of the newest technology and tools for the classroom. I also plan to continue practicing and using the information from this particular class to perfect it and implement more of the technology into my classroom and curriculum. Ultimately, I truly enjoy technology and want to continue learning about it. If there were some websites that I could subscribe to, in order to keep me informed of new and interesting technology, I would do that also.
One other way that I can stay abreast of the new technology is to keep better in touch with some of the technology teachers/support on our staff. They usually know sooner than I, newer technology, websites, applications and tools that have been developed for the classroom. In keeping in closer contact with them, I will learn sooner about these items, so that I can implement them more quickly into my curriculum.
Trial and error is my best way to learn, so I will keep trying new tools that I hear about and see how well I do with them. If I am able to manage it, then I will figure out a way to implement it into my curriculum. Students love using technology and many of them find class and learning more interesting when they are working more hands on with it, so I will implement technology as much as I am able to into my classroom to keep the students as excited and interested as I am able.

Part 2:
Two Long Term Goals

1. Goal #1

Within the next two years, I plan to have a true website up for my classroom, as the one I have now is still not finished and I have not updated in a long time. Then placed on my website, I plan to have a blog or two, one definitely for the parents of my students, and the other for other teachers. If I am able, I would like to have a third blog site, where students can blog back and forth with me and with the second grade students that I have that year. Also, within two years, I would like to have a wiki site set up also.
The one big item that I am going to have to overcome in making these things happen is time. With the many different initiatives that my school gives us each year, the amount of curriculum that we need to teach, and trying to keep abreast of all of the new techniques and technology, it is hard to find time to do just one more thing. However, I know that it is important for my students and in communicating with my parents that these items be accomplished, so I am making it a goal to have these items, set up, kept current and running effectively.

2. Goal #2

This goal is for my students. My goal is to implement technology that students can use, not just using the ENO board, into each subject area. Right now, I use technology mostly for science and social studies. However, technology can be used with everything that we do, so I want my students to experience technology in math, reading, spelling and more. With the implementation of this technology, there would also be much more group work, so that students learn how to work well with one another. Then upon completion of their assignments, they would share them with the rest of the class, so that they are able to teach them what they learned throughout the course of the assigned project.
To complete this goal, I have to continue to look at the curriculum in which I teach and see how best to implement this technology. Also, I have to teach my students how to work and find information on the Internet. Being that they are in second grade, they believe much of what they read so before starting assignments; students will be taught how to tell if information is real or fake, and what to do if they are not sure.

Part 3
Reflection of checklist

In reviewing my answers from the checklist that I completed seven weeks ago, I found that what I thought was sometimes really was rarely and what I did often really was only sometimes. Before starting this course, I thought that I was implementing technology a lot in my classroom. I thought that I was doing well with having the students working in groups and pairs and then teaching one another. However, after going through the weeks, I realized more and more that I was not truly doing enough work with technology in the classroom. I also thought that I was conducting more of a learner centered classroom, but have since realized that it truly is not learner centered, as I still teach the students much of the time. There are many times, when the students could be doing the learning and teaching, while I could be facilitating, but I take control and do the teaching.
Lastly, especially while trying to create my podcast, that I truly don’t take advantage of the knowledge of my coworkers. In retrospect, I don’t seem to share as much knowledge and activities as I should either. My second grade team usually shares quite often, but while taking these courses, I found that teachers in other grade levels have lots to share that can be used in the lower grade levels also.

This course has made me realize that there are many tools of technology that need to be implemented in the classroom. Collaboration between peers and staff members is truly beneficial in many areas. Technology is the future of our students, so the early they start using technology, the better prepared they will be for school and for the world that is advancing so very quickly.

References:

Dede, C. (2010) “Evolution of technology and Pedagogy.” [Video file] Laureate Education. Unknown.

Richardson, W. (2010) Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Thornburg, D. (2010) “Emergence of Education.” [Video file] Laureate Education. Unknown.

Thornburg, D. (2010) “The Changing Role of the Teacher.” [Video file] Laureate Education. Unknown.

Technology in Education

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Reflection

Friday, October 8, 2010

Podcast